FantasyLion.com: All Day

One of the keys in fantasy football is staying ahead of your competition. A great way to do that is by stashing backup and relatively unheard of RBs in case the start goes down. This will prove beneficial for those who stashed Bernard Scott, Jason Snelling, and Justin Forsett. In the last week all of those backup RBs now have fantasy relevance because starting RBs Cedric Benson, Michael Turner, and Julius Jones are all likely to miss time. I’m a big fan of stashing RBs this year I’ve benefited from spot starts from Jerome Harrison and Darren Sproles while just missing out on Ladell Betts and Rashard Mendenhall. I had both on my team, but lost patience and released them much like an idiot… that will be one thing I don’t do next year. Anyways with a few weeks left, let’s take a look at some backs who could pay dividends should the main ball carrier go down.

Top 5 Stash & Hopers

1. Danny Ware- Ware’s ability to catch the ball impressed me in the preseason. He’s currently buried on the depth chart, but is one injury away from being a fantasy gem. The good news is he’s playing behind Brandon Jacobs who hasn’t played a full season yet and Ahmad Bradshaw who’s had a foot and ankle issue most of the year and could miss time. If given a chance, Ware could be this year’s Tashard Choice.
2. Mike Goodson- Similar to Ware, Goodson is buried on the depth chart. However, DeAngelo Williams has been nursing a knee and Jonathan Stewart has been dealing with an Achilles issue. If either of those guys were to miss time Goodson would have an impact and is also a good candidate to be this year’s Choice.
3. Fred Jackson- Jackson was the man earlier this year for Buffalo before giving way to suspended starter, Marshawn Lynch. It makes me scratch my head why Jackson hasn’t seen more of a role given his early season effectiveness. I’m not saying that Dick Jauron got fired for not playing Jackson, but I will say that the Bills would have produced better offensive numbers had Jackson remained the starter which would of led to more wins which might have given Jauron an opportunity to keep his job. He probably would of been fired at the end of the year, but I digress. Jackson is not an unheard of guy by any means, but he may have been dropped in most leagues, so pick up as he would be a must start should Marshawn Lynch miss any time.
4. Glen Coffee- Here’s another guy who may have been forgotten. Coffee filled in nicely when Gore went down earlier this year. Gore is a great back, but he is injury prone and any given week could lead to Gore’s next ailment. If you have Gore, you’d better handcuff him to Coffee. The Niners schedule is pretty easy the rest of the way so Coffee could be a huge steal should he become the starter again. Sidenote- Coffee has been inactive due to a concussion but he should return this week.
5. Lex Hilliard- Hilliard is a relatively unheard of player. I’m not sure if he’ll factor into the Dolphins mix now that Ronnie Brown is out for the year, but he’s worth a roster spot to find out. Tomorrow’s game may not reveal playing time for Hilliard, but he could certainly see time in week 12. I watched some video on Hilliard today and he reminded me of Michael Turner. Hilliard’s build is not too far off of Brown’s either. Hilliard is 5’11 and 240, Brown is 6’0 230. Bill Parcells picked this kid for a reason, so he could make some noise if given the opportunity.

Honorable Mentions…

1. Willis McGahee - handcuff to Ray Rice
2. Jerome Harrison - handcuff to Jamal Lewis
3. Rashad Jennings - handcuff to Maurice Jones-Drew
4. Sam Gado - handcuff to Steven Jackson
5. Willie Parker - handcuff to Rashard Mendenhall
6. Shonn Greene - handcuff to Thomas Jones
7. Maurice Morris - handcuff to Kevin Smith
8. Brandon Jackson - handcuff to Ryan Grant
9. Kolby Smith - handcuff to Jamaal Charles
10. Chester Taylor - handcuff to Adrian Peterson